Negima - Vol. 5: Magic 501: Magic Outside the Classroom

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Negima takes a field trip and conjures up trouble.

By Jeremy Mullin

It's class field trip time! Class 2-A is on its way to historical Kyoto, and no one could be more excited than Negi. But having to keep an eye on his rowdy students is the least of his worries. Seems a renegade faction of the Kyoto-based Kansai Magic Association is stirring up trouble, and they got their sights set on Konoka, whose latent magical abilities they wish to exploit. And if that wasn't bad enough, another of Negi's students, the quiet swordsgirl Setsuna, may in fact be an agent of the enemy! Whose side is Setsuna on, and just what is her connection to Konoka?

Okay, we're still getting the usual hilarious antics of Negi and his class, whether they're running amuck in Kyoto or back at Mahora Academy. However, we're also getting some seriousness in both magical fights and character drama. Much of this volume's content centers around the main two-part adventure, as Negi and Class 2-A hit the streets of Kyoto and either go crazy or, in Negi's case, deal with the current crisis. And it is a crisis, with the enemy possessing both powerful wizards and their own swordsgirl intent on their goals. The main villainess is a nasty one, having no qualms about using Konoka for her goals. The drama centers around Konoka and Setsuna, and hearing their touching story and watching things evolve around them will surely get to you.

Unfortunately, even though they adapted the story well enough from Ken Akamatsu's original manga, they also cut a lot out of it to cram it into these two episodes. Even if you haven't read the original manga, you'll be able to tell the story seems a little rushed and that they could've done more with it. They just stuck to the main points and that was it, leaving a lot of stuff to just get a quick mention instead of being developed more. Most anime adapted from manga tends to go longer than the original storyline, either to develop certain things or fill space when they've caught up to what's been previously published. They did the complete opposite here, and in a way, it almost hurts the story.

Thankfully, there's still some good material on this volume, mainly with episodes 19 and 22, the "bookends" of the volume. Episode 19 is a touching piece centering around 2-A student Sayo Aisaka, who also happens to be a ghost (hey, they already have a ninja, a robot and a vampire, so why not?). Here's one aspect of the story that did get developed further from the original manga, as the class speculates about the missing Sayo (with plenty of rumors about why she hasn't come to class, from misprints in the class register to being sick) and resident reporter Kazumi tries to get the scoop, even having to use old hard copy year books when the Internet leads nowhere. It's cute to see Sayo interact in the background with her classmates in their various clubs, even though they can't see her, and you'll feel for her when you find out her story, something even Sayo doesn't remember since she's been dead for so long. It's a cute little number that's quickly become one of my favorite anime episodes.

The other "bookend", episode 22, brings some focus back to main female lead Asuna. As Class 2-A reminisces and recovers from the Kyoto trip, Asuna deals with her own troubles, whether it's her job to help pay for her school tuition or her feelings for her former teacher Takahata, which leads to a heartbreaking moment for the girl. You feel for her, yet at the same time admire her for her determination to pay her own way and not accept charity, which many would consider a rare trait in this day and age. It even gives some foreshadowing to the next batch of episodes, whether it be Asuna's strange dreams or the speculation of how she can cancel out magic when she smacks the powerful Evangeline around. Another good episode, which helps to make up for the lack of material in the main storyline.

Score: 7 out of 10

The Video Negima - Vol. 5 is presented in Fullscreen (4:3), preserving the original television presentation. Once again FUNimation gives us some good video quality for the DVD, making sure it transfers well on the disc. Everything comes out so nice and clear, even the stuff done deliberately such as the twilight scene where Nodoka and Yue discuss the former's feelings on Negi or a steamy (literally) risque bathhouse photo taken during the class trip (hey, some of Akamatsu's trademark fan service did make it into the show!). FUNimation does some great work, and here's to hoping they keep it up.

Score: 8 out of 10

The Audio Negima - Vol. 5 offers two audio options: English Stereo and Japanese Stereo. There are also optional English subtitles for the Japanese track, with automatic ones used for the on-screen text and opening and closing songs.

Same with the video, FUNimation does the same in giving a well-recorded audio track. You won't miss anything in terms of dialogue, sound effects, or any of the music, whether it's the cheerful numbers for the comedic moments or the whimsical melodies for the dramatic or tense moments. It makes for a nice package that shows the work that was put into it.

I've made my usual comments regarding the English dub, which is still done rather well, especially the lack of use of Japanese honorifics, which I think would've worked very well even in the English track. Which would you prefer to hear, Setsuna calling Konoka the more respectful-sounding "Ojo-sama" or the simple "Miss", which doesn't have that same punch to it? Since there's no sense in me repeating myself, I'll leave it at that.

Score: 7 out of 10

Packaging and Extras Like the previous volumes before it, Negima - Vol. 5 comes in a white amray DVD case, containing the disc and the paper inserts. The inserts included are not only the same ad for the BCI DVD releases, but a new issue of "The Anime Source", listing FUNimation's upcoming releases in the next few months.

There isn't much in terms of extras on this volume. We get the usual trailers and textless opening and closing animations, as well as some new "Character Profiles" for some of Class 2-A. The profiles for this batch include Kazumi, Sayo and Setsuna, which gives their usual stats and personal info, as well as their roles in the included episodes without giving too much away.

We still get another section of Japanese culture trivia with "The City of Kyoto". This little featurette, which like its predecessors is done with text and pictures you can go through using your DVD remote at your leisure, provides info on the city of Kyoto, from its beginnings as the former imperial seat to the tourist spot it is today. Even some information about a famous location provided during the anime is repeated and quoted here, using the age old trick of getting folks to learn by using something they'd enjoy. Hey, if school was like this when I went, I would've paid more attention.

I'm rather surprised there wasn't a "Schoolgirl Commentary" for this volume. Episode 19 would've been a good choice, using maybe the voice actresses for Sayo and Kazumi (Kate Bristol and Monica Rial, respectively) to do the commentary. I guess FUNimation felt the option was no longer necessary and had run its course, or they couldn't decide on an episode to use. Couldn't say for sure.

Score: 7 out of 10

The Bottom Line They may have rushed things with the main story, but this volume of Negima! still continues to nicely bring Akamatsu's manga to life with some new ideas and hints of things to come. Here's to hoping it leads to a major climax.